Brian McCann's double gives NL first All-Star Game win since 1996

UPDATE, 11:50 pm: Ian Kinsler flied out to center for the final out of the ninth inning, and with that, the National League won the All-Star Game 3-1, the NL's first victory in 13 years. The NL will also receive home-field advantage in the World Series.

The AL hadn't lost the All-Star Game since 1996. The Atlanta Braves' Brian McCann was the hero of the night for the NL, after he hit a double down the right field line with the bases loaded in the seventh. That erased the AL 1-0 lead (from an unearned run).

Dominant NL pitching closed out the game's final innings -- that, and a heads-up play by outfielder Marlon Byrd with one out in the bottom of the ninth. Byrd fielded a one-hopper and threw to second, which forced David Ortiz out. That play seemed to suck the life out of the AL team, and Kinsler flew out immediately after to end the game.

UPDATE, 11:18 pm: Adam Wainwright extinguishes the AL comeback attempt in the bottom of the seventh, striking out Torii Hunter with runners on first and second. After seven complete innings, NL leads AL 3-1.

UPDATE, 10:57 pm: Brian McCann smashes a double down the right field line with the bases loaded to give the NL its first lead of the night. 3-1 NL in the top of the seventh. Two of those runs are charged to Phil Hughes, who started the inning and is in line for the loss.

UPDATE, 10:40 pm: With six innings in the books, it's still 1-0 AL. The carousel of players has begun, and even the Phillies' Roy Halladay didn't get to pitch a whole inning. It's certainly an interesting All-Star Game -- not much offense, and the only run is unearned. Would be tough to pick an MVP at this point.

UPDATE, 10:14 pm: Hong Chih-Kuo walks Evan Longoria to start the bottom of the fifth. Then, on a ground ball back to the pitcher, Kuo overthrows first base badly, which allows Longoria to reach third. Robinson Cano scores Longoria with a sacrifice fly to left. Manufacturing runs at the All-Star Game! At the end of five innings: AL 1, NL 0.

UPDATE, 9:45 pm: This game is flying! Four innings down, and it's still scoreless. Cliff Lee pitched the fourth for the AL, and Johnson pitched his second inning for the NL. Ryan Braun made an outstanding diving catch to rob Josh Hamilton of a base hit down the left field line. Incredible web gems tonight already.

UPDATE, 9:33 pm: Through three innings, the score remains 0-0. Andy Pettitte and Josh Johnson pitch the third inning, and each racks up two strikeouts. Looks like a pitching and defense kind of night.

UPDATE, 9:11 pm: After one and a half innings, it's still scoreless. Both starting pitchers, David Price and Ubaldo Jimenez throwing well but needing double plays to get out of jams. In the bottom of the first, there was a very nice moment commemorating the late Bob Sheppard, the Yankees' longtime public address announcer. Before Derek Jeter's at-bat, a recording of Sheppard introducing Jeter played. The crowd cheered.

Before the game's first pitch, there was a brief video tribute honoring longtime Yankees owner George Steinbrenner, who died this morning after suffering a massive heart attack. There was also a moment of silence.

PRE-GAME: Baseball's annual All-Star Game will take place tonight in Anaheim, Calif., but it will take place in front of a decidedly different backdrop than years past.

It won't simply celebrate individual achievements from the first half of the year or show teams compete for home-field advantage. Instead, tonight will be remembered as the All-Star Game played the same day as the death of longtime Yankees owner George Steinbrenner.

MLB has not announced how they will honor Steinbrenner before the All-Star Game, but one can imagine there will be some sort of pre-game tribute. The Yankees players and coaches will wear black bands on their sleeves tonight in commemoration.

And onto the game itself … Let's begin with the starting lineups. The Rays' David Price gets the start for the AL, and the Rockies' Ubaldo Jimenez will take the mound for the NL.

To report corrections and clarifications, contact Standards Editor Brent Jones. For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com. Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com.

About Daily Pitch

Daily Pitch is a baseball fan's destination for breaking news, emerging trends and enlightening banter. With a veteran group of reporters positioned in three time zones, we provide a balanced, comprehensive glimpse at our national pastime, with a nod to both the passion and complexities that make the sport irresistible to many. More about our reporters